Convertible riding, driving, and veterinary bridle-bit.



1. A. FRETW ELL. CONVERTIBLE RIDING, DRIVING, AND VETERINARY BRIDLE BIT.

I APPLICATION FILED JULY 25 196- 1 ,Z%@,@4l Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

, 2 SHEETSSHEEI I.

J. A. FRETWELL.

CONVERTIBLE RIDING, DRIVING, AND VETERINARY BRIDLE BIT.

APPLICATION m n JULY 25.1916.

LMQML Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E u 1 Y pnrrnn stains rarest Juries JOHN A. FRETWELL, OF BRADFORD, ARKANSAS.

CONVERTIBLE RIDING, DRIVING, AND VETERINARY BRIDLE-IBIT.

ame-i To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. FRETWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at radford, in the county of lVhite and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Riding, Driving, and Veterinary Bridle-Bits; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a convertible riding, driving and veterinary bridle bit.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of bridle bits and to provide a simple, practical and eflicient bridle bit of comparatively inexpensive construction and of the old English riding bit type equipped with a mouth bar composed of fixed and relatively adjustable members adapted to be arranged in a variety of positions to enable the bit to be used as a nonclenchable bit, a graduating curb bit, a drenching bit and a speculum for veterinary purposes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bridle bit of this character adapted to have its adjustable member of the mouth bar arranged to form a curb bit of difi'erent sizes and for moderate and severe curbing.

Another object of the invention is to enable the adjustable member of the mouth )ar to be arranged in difierent positions for forming a speculum of different sizes and a drenching bit of different sizes and also to permit tree action of the tongue of the animal when it is desired to permit the same to swallow in administering medicine to the same,

It is also an object of the invention to provide convertible and adjustable bit having a medicine receiving chamber in its mouth bar adapted to permit any suitable medicine or antiseptic or the like to be supplied to horses and cattle so that the same will gradually ooze out owing to the action of the saliva. i

A further object of the invention is to provide an interlocking construction for holdi the adjustable member of the mouth bar when the bit is arranged for both curbing and-to form a speculum so that there will be no liability of the said adjustable member accidentally slipping or becoming loose Specification of Letters Patent. Patgntgfl g e 11 1191"}. Application filed July 25, 1916.

Serial No. 111,298.

With these and other objects in view, the ll'lVGll'tlOIl consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the inventlon.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a convertible riding, driving and veterinary bridle bit constructed in accordance with this invention, and shown arranged for ridlng or driving,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same, the movable member of the mouth bar being arranged to form a drencher bit,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same,

Fig. l is a transverse sectional view of the bit showing the same arranged to form a non-clenchable bit,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the adjustable member to form a speculum,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the adjustable member of the mouth bar to form a curb bit,

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view illustrating the construction of the medicine chamber.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the convertible, riding, driving and veterinary bridle bit comprises in its construction two side frames 1 and a connecting mouth'bar composed of fixed and relatively movable sections 3 and 4. The hit which is of the old English riding type is designed to be constructed of steel or other suitable material and the relatively fixed section or member 01" the mouth bar is rigidly secured at its terminals to the side frame at a point intermediate of the ends thereof preferably above the central portions of the same as clearly shown in Fi 2 of the drawings. The members 3 and 4- of the mouth bar are curved longitudinally and the relatively fixed member presents an upper convex edge or face and a lower concave edge or face is also provided with a longitudinal. groove or channel which is adapted to form a medicine chamber for containing any suitable medicine or antiseptic which it may be desired to supply to horses and cattle for the treatment or prevention of diseases and ailments. The relatively adjustable memher 4; which is substantially oval in cross section is adapted to be arranged contiguous to and in substantial parallelism with the relatively fixed member 3 to close the groove or chamber 5 for confining the medicine which may be arranged in the form of a paste or a'more or less solid condition so as to be acted on by the saliva of the animals as required for any special treatment. The relatively movable member is also adapted to be adjusted or reversed to arrange its concave edge or face uppermost and its convex edge lowermost as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings to form a nonrclenchable bit which will effectually pre vent an animal from taking the bit in his teeth and'running away. By a non-clenchable bit it is to be understood that it is a bit which will render it impossible for a horse to rigidly hold the bit between its teeth andv thereby preventing the rider or driver from controlling the animal by the bit.

The adjustable member t is provided at its ends with rectangular lugs 6 and it has threaded stems or portions 7 located beyond the lugs 6 and adapted to receive thumb nuts 8 which are preferably of the form shown but any other suitable configuration of adjusting nut may ot' course be employed. The side frames of the bit are enlarged at their central portions and are provided with approximately semi-circular slots 9 which are adapted to enable the relatively adjustable member of the mouth iar to be trans ferred from the upper to the lower portion of the side frames to convert the bridle bit into a drenching bit and also into a specu lum. The side frames are also provided with upper extension slots 10 and lower en tension slots 11 and they have an it-nermediate bracing or connecting portion 12 located adjacent to the terminal portions of the ap; proximately semi-circular slots 9 to form a rigid structure and enable the bridle bit to be subjected to relatively great pressure without the liability of the bit collapsing or bending under the strain incident to itsuse when the bridle bit is employed either for riding, driving or for veterinary purposes in operation upon horses or cattle.

The slots are of a. size to snugly receive the rectangular guide lugs 6 and the curved slotsare provided intermediate of their ends with enlargements 13 which are of sufficient size to permit the relatively movable mouth bar to be rotated. to change its position with imately inverted U-shapedas shown and itis provided with recesses or notches 15 and 16 adapted to receive the rectangular guide stud of the movable member of the mouth bar and located different distances from the relatively fixed member of the mouth bar and capable also of permitting the relativelymovable member to be reversed to arrange eitherthe convex or the concave edge. or face in position to be presented to the under side of the jaw of a horse to form either a moderate or severe curb'as required. After the relatively movablesmember of the mouth bar has been adjusted in proper position in one of the notches or recesses 15 and 16 .it'is rigidly held in such position'by adjusting the thumbnut. V

The adjustable member 'ofthe. mouth bar is adapted to be arranged at the lower portion of the curved or approximately semicircular slot 9 to form a drenching bit as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings and when in this position the adjustable member, which is rigidly secured by the clamping nut in the angle formed by the slots 9 and the lower branches or extensions 11 of said slots 9 presents a lower eoncaved face to the lower jaw and provides ample space for the action of the tongue to enable the animal to swallow thieimdicini-z delivered to it.

The extensions ll. of the slots '9 formed in the lower portions of the side frames are straight and are provided at spaced points with branch slots 17 and 18 which have notches 19 and 20 adapted to receive the guide lugs ot the relatively adjustable member of the mouth bar whereby thelatter is firmly interlocked with the side frames and is adapted to be rigidly secured to the same by the thumb nut to form a speculum but the upper slot may be also employed for hold- .ing the mouth of a horse or other animal open for drenching purposes as it will permita'n easier introduction] of the medicine into the mouth of the animal. While two branches extending from the. extension slot 11 at right anglesthereto, are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, any desired numberot adjustments may ot eourse be employed and when the bridle bit is employed as a speculum for veterinary purposes the upper and lower jaws of the ainmal are securely lashed to the bridle bit by passing a strap through upper and lower openings m and 22 provided in the terminal portions oi? the side tran esat the top and bottom there of and when the-bit issecured in the mouth of 'an animal in this manner the jaws will be held rigidly against open no or closing movements and any operation may be performed with accuracy and security and access to all portions of the mouth of an animal may be had. The upper opening 21 is adapted to receive the head stall when the bit is used for riding and driving and an intermediate slot 23 is provided in each of the central enlargements of the side frames to receive the reins or lines for driving and also to receive a head stall when the device is arranged for use as a speculum. The side frames are also provided with upper and lower slots 24 and 25. The upper slot 2st is adapted to receive an ordinary leather old style curb strap and the lower slots 25 of the side frames are adapted to receive the lines or reins for riding. Also the fixed and relatively adjustable members of the mouth bar enable the bit to be arranged as a graduating bit for driving two horses with the same rein pressure and it frequently happens in practice in driving pairs that one horse pulls much harder on the bit than the other or the latter has what is called a tenderer mouth. By adjusting the position of the movable member of the mouth bar, the feel may be so regulated that the same pull on the reins will have the same effect with both horses. This will compensate for the difference between a horse having a very hard mouth and another horse having a very tender mouth.

It will also be seen that the movable member may be arranged to apply any desired pressure under the chin of the animal and that if the movable member be adjusted to present the arch or convex portion to the chin of the animal a very powerful pressure may be applied as may be required, for instance in breaking in a horse. On the other hand the movable member may be turned to a reverse position to present the co-ncaved side of the bar or member to the chin of the animal and the mouth bar will be in position to produce a moderate curbin of the animal. In addition to the ad ustment shown it will be clear that the arrangement of the slots and the extensions are such as to permit a relative adjustment of the mem bers of the mouth bar to space them the desired distance apart and to arrange them in the desired relative position to secure the required action on the mouth or jaws of an animal for riding, driving and also for veterinary purposes.

What is claimed is 1. A bridle bit of the class described comprising side frames provided with enlarged intermediate portions having approximately semi-circular slots provided with upper branch slots and lower branch slots extending upwardly and downwardly from the said semi-circular slots at spaced points, a mouth bar composed of a fixed member rigidly connected with the sides at the upper portions of said slots, and a relatively ad justable member having portions guided in the said slots and movable also into the upper and lower branch-slots to form a curb bit, a drenching bit and a speculum.

2. A bridle bit of the class described including spaced side frames provided with enlarged intermediate portions having upwardly projecting arms inclined to the vertical, said intermediate portions being also provided with approximately semi-circular slots, and said arms having branch slots forming extensions of the slots of the intermediate portions, and a mouth bar composed of a relatively fixed member rigidly connected with the side frames at the upper portions of the said slots, and a relatively movable member operating in the said slots and also in the branch slots to form a curb bit and also a drenching bit.

8. A bridle bit of the class described including side frames provided with slots and having approximately inverted U-shaped branch slots forming extensions of the said slots and provided with notches or recesses located at different distances from the terminals of the same, said branch slots being located adjacent the horizontal plane of the upper terminals of the first mentioned slots, and a mouth bar composed of a relatively fixed member rigidly connected with the side frames, and a relatively movable member adjustable in the said slots and in the branches thereof and provided with means for securing its terminals in the said recesses or notches to form a curb bit.

4. A bridle bit of the class described comprising side frames provided with approximately semi-circular slots having straight lower vertical longitudinal branch slots extending downwardly from the lower ends of the semi-circular slots, said branch slots being provided with angularly related branch es disposed at intervals, and a mouth bar comprising relatively fixed and movable members, the movable member being guided in the said slots and adapted to be arranged in the said branch slots and the branches thereof to form a speculum.

5. A bridle bit of the class described ineluding side frames provided with approximately semi-circular slots having lower straight vertical branch slots extending from the lower ends of the said semi-circular slots, said branch slots being provided with angularly related branches located at spaced points and having terminal recesses, and a mouth bar composed of fixed and movable members, the movable member being operable in the said slots and provided with means for securing it in the said recesses to form an adjustable speculum.

6. A bridle bit of the class described including spaced side frames having enlarged intermediate portions provided with up wardly extending arms inclined to the rar tical; said side frames beiug'also provided-in their intermediate portions with curved slots having upperand lower branch slots, the upper branch slots being-- formed in the said arms and the lower branch slots extending downwardly longitudinally of the side frames of the intermediate enlarged portions, said branch slots having recesses spaced apart, an'da mouth bar composed of relatively fixed and movable" sections, the movable section being" operable in the said slots toand' adapted tobe supported by the saidarms spaced from and in approximately the samehorizontal plane as the-fixed sec tion and provided With" means forsecuring it'inthe said recesses, whereby an adjustable curb and an adjustable speculum may be formed: p p

7. A bridle bit of the class described i11- frames being also provided with curved slots having upperandlo'wer branch slots provided with spaced notches, theupper branch slots having portions inclined to the vertical and'the lower branch slots" extending longitudinally of the side frames, and a mouth bar composed of fixed an'd'm'ova'ble members, the movable member operating" in the curved slots and the extensions thereof and provided with means for securing it in the said notches to arrange the movable H member at different distancesfro-mthe relatively fixed member and in different positions with relation to'the same.

In testimony whereofli'aflix my signature.

JOHN A. FRETWELL.

Copies- 0fthis'patent may lie obtaineaforfive} cents each; by Zia-dressingtnwcmmissmnefu: 'Pate'zitsf Washington, D; c." 

